Can They or Can't They:Is there Any Shipyard in India capable of modular Shipbuilding

Can They or Can't They? : Is there Any Shipyard in India capable of modular Shipbuilding?​

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Is there any existing shipyard in India that can undertake modular warship-building? For that you ought to look for some visual signs of it, instead of asking any of the existing shipbuilders, be it Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL), Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE), the Mumbai-based Mazagon Docks Ltd (MDL), or Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL). Because one will only get a warped answer that skirts the entire issue of modular shipbuilding and tries to oversimplify the industrial challenges. Before we go any further, let us examine in simple terms what modular warship-building is all about. Simply put, it was pioneered by Germany’s Blohm + Voss and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (now grouped as the German Naval Group, or GNG), with the scope of work to be performed consisting of integrated modular designs (using TRIBON CAD/CAM software) for both onboard and off board systems that are designed specifically for the varied deployment of standardised modules (weapons, electronics and the ship’s technical equipment) which, in addition, are connected with the power supply, the air-conditioning and ventilation system and the data network for example, via standardized interfaces. All the components needed to run a specific system are accommodated in a single module. Depending upon the particular task they are required to perform, a distinction is made between weapons, electronics and the ship’s technical modules. Containers, pallets and mast modules are installed during the construction phase. Such modularity allows a wide range of choice in the selection of the on-board systems, whether it be with regard to the integration of customer-supplied systems or the use of products that the customer already has in service from various manufacturers. By simultaneously building the warship’s platform at a shipyard and the modules at the suppliers’ premises, a significant savings in both time and cost can be achieved. The modular construction principle also reduces the costs of maintaining and modernising the vessels during both periodic refits and service life-extension programmes (SLEP). Following the example and standards set by the GNG, other European shipyards like The Netherlands’ Schelde Naval Shipbuilding, the UK’s BAE Systems and Italy’s Fincantieri have actively embraced such shipbuilding practices and processes.

This now leads us to the question at hand: can shipyards like GSL, CSL, MDL and GRSE presently undertake modular warship-building? The answer is a clear no, as they are not only not equipped with the required industrial infrastructure, but do not have a standardized industrial roadmap or time-bound infrastructure development implementation plan. A cursory look at any of these shipyards will reveal that none of them have syncrolifts, which must be accompanied by related shiplift piers, and a dry berth. For modular shipbuilding the syncrolift (for transferring the various modules into the final enclosed assembly hall), dry berths and assembly halls must all be connected by a modern, land-level ship-transfer system. The only such syncrolift that exists within India is the one at INS Kadamba (Project Seabird) in Karwar, having been ordered on May 20, 2002 at a cost of US$32 million and delivered by Rolls-Royce Marine Systems in late 2004. Configured as a 10,000-ton shiplifter, it is a large marine elevator used for lifting warships out of, or lowering ships into, the water. To dock a warship, the platform and cradle are lowered into the water, and the vessel is then moved into place over the platform. When in position, the syncrolift raises the platform, removing the vessel from the water. Work on the vessel can then be done in situ, or the vessel transferred offshore, leaving the syncrolift available to dock other vessels. On completion, the process is reversed. The hoists, platform and associated ship-transfer system were all made in India and the project was managed by Syncrolift Inc, the world leader in shiplift systems with 224 installations in 67 countries.

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Making matters worse is the disparate state of military-industrial cooperation between the Indian shipyards and their foreign counterparts. For instance, GSL has a longstanding agreement with Schelde Naval Shipbuilding, The Netherlands’ Maritime Research Institute (MARIN) and Haskoning Nederland BV, and Germany’s Raytheon Anschutz GmbH. MDL, on the other hand, openly declares its preference for ARMARIS of France, while CSL is now in bed with Fincantieri, with GRSE preferring to team up with the GNG. These varying and competing industrial tie-ups are now indulging in intense lobbying within the MoD for securing the contract for supplying the Indian Navy with seven Project 17A guided-missile frigates (FFG), seven Project 15B guided-missile destroyers (DDG) and up to three amphibious assault vessels. While the Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design (DND) has clearly indicated its preference for adopting the GNG’s proven and globally popular MEKO concept of modular design/construction, BAE Systems, ARMARIS, Schelde Naval Shipbuilding and Fincantieri haven’t yet lost hope and are exerting intense pressure on the MoD to at least share the cake (comprising the projected FFG, DDG and LPH projects) as a compromise. The latest entrant into the fray is South Korea’s Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction, which is offering the Dokdo-class LPH and KDX-3 DDG.

As far as selecting the design of the Project 17A FFG goes, ARMARIS’ Fremm FFG, the GNG’s F-125 FFG and Navantia’s F-310 FFG are likely to be shortlisted. The foreign shipyard whose FFG design wins the tender will be required to build two FFGs at its own yard, using craftsmen from the selected lead Indian shipyard. For the Project 17A FFG, the Navy is seeking revolutionary solutions aimed at seamlessly operating under various scenarios under a global deployment spectrum. For instance, the Navy wants the vessel’s dwell-time in the area of operations of up to one year, without having to return to its homeport for scheduled maintenance during this phase. This concept of operations is thus aimed at doubling the warship’s time-on-station between major overhauls by maintaining the warship’s uninterrupted operational availability, and drastically cutting down (by several weeks) on long-transit times. In addition, a high degree of on-board automation will be specified to enable the warship to be manned by a crew complement of less than 100, with the crew complement on deployment being swapped at-sea according to a four-monthly cycle. An identical concept will be specified for the three planned seven Project 15B DDGs.

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On the Indian Navy’s plans to acquire up to three LPH-based multi-role support ships (MRSS), a total of eight companies from The Netherlands (Schelde Shipbuilding with its Enforcer LPD), France (Armaris’ Mistral LHD), the UK (BAE Systems Marine’s Ocean-class LHD), Germany (ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems’ MHD-150), Italy (Finantieri’s 20,000-tonne LHD), the US (Raytheon’s San Antonio-class LPD-17), Spain (Navantia’s 21,500-tonne Strategic Projection Ship, two of which were ordered by Australia on October 9, 2007) and South Korea (Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction’s 14,500-tonne assault landing ship, three of which have been ordered for the ROK Navy) have begun lining up for marketing their respective solutions. It is believed that the Indian Navy originally desired a LPD design capable of undertaking sea logistics and humanitarian relief operations. Now, however, the Navy has projected a requirement for helicopter carriers (LHD) that will also host rear flooding decks to accommodate armoured wheeled/tracked amphibious assault vehicles and LCAC-type assault hovercraft. This means the MRSS will in essence be a LHD that will also be capable of supporting ‘over-the-horizon assaults’ by heliborne and LCAC-borne infantry forces. That being the case, the Navy’s to-be-selected MRSS will have to host on board at least six medium-lift utility helicopters.—Prasun K. Sengupta

Discuss here, the importance of modular shipbuilding and its relevance to construction of advanced warships; lament the lack of modular shipbuilding facilities at Indian dockyards; discuss strategies on incorporating modular shipbuilding into Indian shipyards, as also lessons that can be learned from other modular shipyards, including the Ingalls- that remained, until the 1990s, the only shipyard of its kind in the United States; whether modular shipbuilding is indeed the 'way of the future', or a hazard we can do without; and finally the relevance of modular shipbulding techniques to other sectors, including the civil nuclear industry.

An interesting article on the 'hazards' of modern, modular shipbuilding:

Unique Hazards of Shipbuilding and Modular Construction

By Murv Granderson on Aug 14, 2007

THIS article by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Inc. (NGSS) addresses lessons learned from a fatality at its New Orleans facility involving a suspended load.

The shipbuilding industry faces many unique hazards. Like all major shipyards, NGSS builds its vessels through modular construction. In modular construction, NGSS builds hundreds of separate units that are assembled into larger units and then integrated into the vessel.

The modular construction process results in an extremely dynamic work environment in which the job site continually changes, with employees and materials constantly in motion. Very few operations involve a static "assembly line" where conditions are uniform and subject to constant controls. Nearly everything and everyone associated with vessel construction will, at one time or another, be in transit as the unit construction process takes shape.

NGSS Safety and Health Program

In early 2002, NGSS embarked on its "New Vision for Safety," which emphasizes personal responsibility for safety performance by the workforce. In launching this New Vision, NGSS established specific goals regarding safety and health and identified clear paths to achieve those goals.

The New Vision includes all stakeholders in the shipbuilding process and is designed to enhance employee safety and health. This process requires "buy in" from Operations, Facilities, Upper Management, support organizations, and, above all, the workforce.

In adopting the united approach, NGSS formed cross-functional stakeholder teams and strengthened its employee Safety Action Teams (SAT) to meet its goals of reducing injuries and illnesses. Moreover, NGSS entered into a Strategic Alliance with OSHA for its shipyards in Louisiana (New Orleans, Waggaman, and Tallulah) and Mississippi (Pascagoula and Gulfport). The Strategic Alliance includes the active cooperation and participation of the collective bargaining representatives for the workforce, including the Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

The New Vision initiatives had a significant impact on reducing injuries and illnesses across the sector. In 2002, the total case incidence rate (TCIR) was 32.9 per 100 workers. This TCIR, in part, reflected the unique and hazardous nature of the shipbuilding industry. The initiative, however, sought to reduce the TCIR to 22.0 per 100 workers by the end of the first quarter of 2005. NGSS exceeded its TCIR reduction goal. Indeed, for the year ending 2006, NGSS’ New Orleans facility reduced its TCIR for the year to 9.6--a 70 percent decrease from the facility's 2001 TCIR of 32.2.

The Fatality

One of the unique hazards facing the shipbuilding industry involves employees working near or under a suspended load. It is widely recognized in the industry that certain operations can be accomplished only by employees working under a suspended load. In light of these operational requirements, the industry has been striving to find ways to mitigate the exposure to this special hazard for employees working in this manner. Indeed, this very issue of working under suspended loads was raised as an agenda item at the Maritime Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (MACOSH) meeting on Sept. 26-27, 2006.

Despite the systemic changes to its safety and health systems and culture, NGSS’ New Orleans facility incurred a fatality in July 2006 when a suspended load struck an employee at the facility. In the incident, a portal crane had been suspending and traveling with a mast unit for a vessel under construction by NGSS. The mast unit was scheduled to be set at a designated staging area on the ground pending its integration. As the crane operator boomed down to position the load, he observed that the load was approaching the boom angle's rated capacity. The operator and Crane Foreman halted the travel of the unit to its designated location and made arrangements to secure another crane to assist with the lift. For several hours, the mast unit remained suspended approximately 4 feet off the ground.

While it was suspended, a General Superintendent decided to inspect the underside of the mast unit. He sought to inspect a particular component to assess how to integrate the mast unit onto the vessel. With the General Superintendent beneath the suspended unit, several employees voluntarily traversed under the load to greet the General Superintendent. Unfortunately, a sling holding one end of the spreader beam broke, causing one side of the load to fall to the ground and strike one of the employees beneath, causing the fatality.

Lessons Learned in Controlling the Hazard of Suspended Loads

NGSS cooperated fully with OSHA in the investigation of the accident. In the end, the General Superintendent and other employees did not heed policies in place to prevent exposure to the hazard of the suspended load. In the investigation, however, NGSS recognized it could take enhanced measures to minimize the need for employees to work near or underneath a load and to protect employees in the rare instances they would have to work in these conditions. At the conclusion of OSHA's investigation, NGSS and its unions agreed to take several additional measures to protect employees from the hazards of special lifts (i.e., over 25 tons) by taking the following actions:

1. Perform a risk analysis of each of the three phases of the lift process (turning unit, traveling with unit, and setting unit).

2. Clarify company policy to eliminate, where feasible, static periods of the lift process that would leave the unit suspended in the air. In exceptional circumstances when a static period in lift occurs, policy must require an effective means to restrict access (e.g., yellow caution tape) plus continuous posting of sufficient personnel around the lift area to prohibit access by employees to the area under suspended loads.

3. Require supervision of lift by a "Lift Coordinator" who has ultimate responsibility and authority for ensuring that all employees (managers, supervisors, and craft employees) follow lift safeguards. The coordinator will accompany the lift while it is traveled to insure compliance with all safeguards. This authority shall include the responsibility to shut down the lift process for any failure to follow established safeguards.

4. Retrain all employees and contract employees regarding the policy prohibiting employees from being under a suspended load.
These actions, agreed upon with OSHA, reflect just some of the actions taken by NGSS and its unions to address this hazard. Among other actions, NGSS addressed policy violations by its employees; revised, strengthened, and formalized its processes and procedures; replaced equipment connected to the incident; enhanced the involvement of its Engineering and Quality Assurance functions in the lift process; and revised its training curriculum for Crane Operators and Riggers. ​

These precautions recognize that, because of the consequences associated with the hazard of suspended loads, multiple precautions (even if redundant) must be employed to enhance employee safety and health. Ultimately, the best precaution against similar incidents comes from an enhanced culture of accountability, high employee involvement, and individual responsibility for safety and health. NGSS strives to reach these goals and obtain VPP status for all locations in Mississippi and Louisiana in 2007.

1) Good Infrastructure - We are now catching up that with a faster pace
2) Resource - I think we are having no problem in this.
3) Skilled Labour - Here comes the huge probelm. When an employee is groomed well with good technical skills, then he moves to a foreign company/country for a good pay. Attiration rate can be attribute to it.

A bit of information from wiki
.....The Project 17A is the follow on the Project 17 (Shivalik class) frigates for the Indian Navy. A total of seven ships will be built. The ships will be built at Mazagon Dock Limited and at GRSE. The Indian shipyards would start the construction of the first ship by 2011 after the process of upgradation of the shipyards are completed. The shipyards are being upgraded to incorporate modular construction technique......

Probably DCN is going to be the consultant for bringing in Modular ship building technique

...March 27/09: French shipbuilder DCNS’ board approves a 3-party design consultancy with Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) of Kolkata, and the I.T. engineers of Infotech Enterprises. The consultancy will design ships for global clients, including back office work for DCNS itself. As India’s Business Standard reports:

“But the first design job that the JV is shooting for is Project 17-A, [which] needs a design partner…. because all seven frigates will be built using an advanced manufacturing process – modular shipbuilding…. Each 300-ton block is built separately, complete with all the piping, electrical wiring and fitments that would be a part of the ship. These must precisely connect…. This is the expertise that DCNS is hoping to sell as the foreign design partner for Project 17-A.”

indian shipbuilders GRSE and MDL are lobbying to have the frigates built entirely in India, and have joined forces to that end. The result may be India’s first dual-shipyard naval contract. Meanwhile, the firms are investing in the equipment required for modular construction, including large covered workshops with sliding roofs for module lift-out, and a 300-tonne, 138m span Goliath crane from Italy’s Fagioli and McNally Bharat Engineering.....

I think building a warship by modular method is probably more difficult than say a container ship or an oil tanker. Warship is far more complex overall than a normal ship. All Indian ports are on its way to be modernized to incorporate modular ship building methods as the IN has told in no uncertain terms that they want all their ships to be built in that manner or else they will look for a foreign yard. some projects were delayed just because of that when the IN wanted them to be executed elsewhere and the Indian shipyards asked for time to incorporate new technologies.

“It takes half a century to build a navy”, said India’s Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sureesh Mehta a year ago and he repeated that yesterday at a press conference in New Delhi. India’s smallest service, which celebrates Navy Day today, is on track to build indigenously one of the most modern navies in the Asia-Pacific region.

Much of that construction is taking place here, at the Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL) in Mumbai. Even with a host of craftsmen swarming over the four major warships that are being fitted out here, after having already been launched --- three Shivalik-class frigates and one Kolkata-class destroyer --- the ships radiate power as well as aesthetics.

India has developed a tradition of making not just capable but also beautiful warships. At a major International Fleet Review in the UK in 2005, the Duke of Edinburgh, a naval veteran himself, interrupted his schedule to compliment the INS Mysore as the handsomest warship in the review.

But the present construction facilities at MDL, and at the MoD’s other two shipyards at Goa and at Garden Reach in Kolkata, are struggling to build enough warships to make up for the decade-long hiatus from the mid-1980s, when not a single warship was ordered due to paucity of funds. In addition, the navy needs replacements for an average of five warships that complete their service lives each year. The Ministry of Defence’s (MoD’s) sharpest focus, therefore, is now on creating world-class shipyards that can churn out efficiently, the warships that the navy needs.

Vice Admiral Krishnan, the Chairman of MDL, revealed to Business Standard that a global tender is being floated for a top-class foreign shipyard that will partner India’s defence shipyards in their transformation to the “modular” form of shipbuilding. Within six months, some 8-10 global shipbuilders --- including Northrop Grumman from the US, DCN from France, Hyundai from Korea, Hyundai, and British shipbuilder, Bath Iron Works ---- will each receive a Request for Proposals (RFP) for becoming India’s partner in modular shipbuilding.

The traditional method of building warships involves building the hull and then launching it into water. Once that is afloat, hundreds of craftsmen labour for months in cramped and dangerous conditions, installing heavy equipment like engines and electronics and crawling through the ship’s innards to lay hundreds of miles of electrical cables and pipelines. In contrast, modular shipbuilding involves building the ship in huge 300-ton blocks, in the friendly conditions of a “modular workshop”. The craftsmen enjoy easier access, and once the blocks are ready, an enormous overhead “Goliath Crane” carries the 300-ton blocks to a dry dock where they are assembled into a warship.

This modular method will be used to build the navy’s next-generation warships, three futuristic Project 17-A stealth frigates. The foreign shipyard partner that wins the tender for modular construction will build one Project 17-A frigate abroad, using craftsmen from MDL and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Kolkata. This will be the learning process, after which MDL and GRSE will each construct one Project 17-A frigate in their new modular shipyards.

Secretary of Defence Production, Mr KP Singh told Business Standard, “Either one or two (Project 17-A warships) will be constructed in the foreign yards, but by our men, so that they will get trained to those systems. We’ll be spending workers (on the construction)… that is the idea.”

The navy would have preferred to construct in Indian yards. Vice Admiral Birinder Randhawa, until last week the Indian Navy’s Controller of Warships Production and Acquisition, says that constructing one warship abroad is part of the price for getting the know-how for modular shipbuilding. Admiral Randhawa says, “Nobody wants to part with this technology without getting orders in their own yard.”

Shipbuilding is an important industry in India and includes shipyards, naval equipment construction companies and various knowledge and service providers. Indian shipbuilding companies have earned global reputation for timely delivery of finished products as desired by the client.
Unlike in any another manufacturing sector where the product is first manufactured and then sold, the ship manufacturing industry first needs to sell the idea and then move on to the next step of construction. This idea holds immense value in the shipbuilding industry, and it is good to see that Indian companies have imbibed it whole heartedly. A lot of opportunities have opened up before the shipbuilding sector in India after the focus on shipbuilding activities started to shift from the larger shipyards of Europe to Asian countries.
The international shipbuilding industry currently stands at US$20 billion. The demand for cargo ships, defence ships and luxury cruises has skyrocketed in the recent years. Presently, Indian ship construction companies are flooded with overseas orders, which is definitely a new trend and the beginning of a new era for the country’s shipbuilding sector. There was a time when most shipyards in India faced problems regarding low capacity, less productivity and poor infrastructure. As a consequence the industry was avoided by foreign clients. Today, the country’s shipbuilding industry is moving on a fast track and is generating considerable business for both public and private companies. Considering the present growth rate, a lot can still be done so that the Indian shipbuilding industry climbs the growth chart and also establishes a global presence. The industry has made considerable efforts to successfully tap the overseas market.
Indian ship manufacturing companies need to implement effective measures to increase their shipbuilding capacity so that both domestic and international demands can be met efficiently. The country currently has 27 shipyards out of which eight are controlled by the Shipping and Defence ministries and the remaining are private shipbuilding or repairing facilities. To meet the increasing demand and to attract foreign players, the government and the private entities have to play a crucial role. Waking up to the call, some of the leading private companies such as ABG, Bharti, Tebma Shipyards Ltd have already started making huge investments to maximise the potential of their exiting shipyards. Other notable players like L&T, Goodearth, Mercator and Adani Group are also finalising plans to develop new shipyards. To uphold the shipbuilding industry in the country, the government of India is planning to come up with a new modified Shipbuilding Subsidy Scheme that will not only benefit large shipbuilding companies but also the small and medium enterprises that provide ancillary support to the ship building sector.
The industry, however, has no control over the rise in steel prices. The financial crisis has also hit the shipping industry badly. Yet, efforts are being made to control the cost of production through automation (CNC Plate Cutting, Pipe Bending Machines, Automatic / Semi-automatic Welding Machines) and technological advancement (installation of ERP SAP R/3, Additional TRIBON licences for Ship Design and MS Project for Project Planning & Control). The Modular Concept of ship construction can also reduce the build period, thereby lessening the cost of production.

So it is to some extent clear that MDL Mumbai and GRSE Kolkata is now upgrading the facilities to adopt modular ship building. French DCN is actually the chosen foreign partner from the different firms mentioned in Ajay Shukla's blog.

Now question is whether 1 or 2 ships of project 17A will be built in shipyard of DCN by workers of MDL or GRSE to give them experience on this modern technique before starting work in Indian shipyards. Or they can do it here from the beginning with the help of DCN.

DCN cleverly moved first and offered all it could as the contract is lucrative. I think there ware talks of a couple of ships being built abroad to gain knowledge. But MDL and GRSE insisted on all ships being built in India and they have invested heavily to be ready with modular construction technique by 2011. They have set a deadline to complete all 7 warships of 17A by 2021.

To tell the truth, the success of both MDL and GRSE in pulling off this project on its own also depends on private industries and its other vendors. All of them have to be up to scratch for undertaking this mammoth project. MDL is not going to build all the blocks themselves. It will be contracting others for it. If its partners are not good enough and they screw up, then it can set back the project in terms of delays.

So it is to some extent clear that MDL Mumbai and GRSE Kolkata is now upgrading the facilities to adopt modular ship building. French DCN is actually the chosen foreign partner from the different firms mentioned in Ajay Shukla's blog.

Now question is whether 1 or 2 ships of project 17A will be built in shipyard of DCN by workers of MDL or GRSE to give them experience on this modern technique before starting work in Indian shipyards. Or they can do it here from the beginning with the help of DCN.

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Your mention of (MDL) Mazagon Docks Limited and (GRSE) Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers brings to mind an article I read in Dec. 2009. Both these shipyards, as well as the Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) and Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) were either owned or transferred to the Def. Ministry to retool to "meet strategic security requirements". The HSL was designated for the six additional indigenous diesel submarines under Project 75A, which the Navy saw as critical for installed capacity, because as many as 38 warships were being constructed simultaneously at the other shipyards. I have no clue as to whether the HSL and GSL are being retooled for modular shipbuilding, but a quick googling at Vijainder K. Thakur's blog tells me a "fully equipped modular yard" with a 300-ton Goliath crane is being built at the Mazagon docks and is expected to be online by mid-2011. I recall also the DCNS-GRSE-Infotech forming a joint venture to equip modular facilities at their hub in Kolkata. None of the latter (as has any other Indian shipyard, with the exception of the Seabird) have experience in modular shipbuilding before. Buts so lucrative is the 17-A that they've decided to spend hundreds of crores in creating modular facilities by 2011, by which point production lines for the 17-A are expected to start.

Sure mate. I really hope those people are willing to share information. Can you PM me a questionnaire or something that i can take?

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I'll have to try 'n brush up those journalistic skills and come up with one. But I think the questions I posed in bold at the bottom of the first post should sorta suffice. I'll get bengalraider's help to come up with some more formal-like questions cuz I know he's posted some similar articles before. Otherwise, you know the dealio.

One question to you guys?
Didn't we already start with modular shipbuilding i mean the ADS is being built in blocks and assembled on site in Cochin if i am not wrong.

@ Yusuf: one question for whosoever you are going to meet could be based on the overall situation regarding shipbuilding in the nation , AFAIK we are far behind the PRC as far as tonnage of ships being constructed annually is concerned, you could question him/them on how this growing gap is planned to be arrested.